Irish citizens illegally in the US under Trump?

Getting a green card is usually a very daunting task. All the other visas are just insecure.

Marriage usually qualifies for a green card, but you'd have to go through a process, - interviews, separate ones for both partners, tough questioning, etc.. but in general it's granted, provided the marriage looks genuine.

I have no chance ever to be offered a green card and so do the majority of people who are interested in working in the US. The H1B visa is not really a choice to me. Thus the US is off limits regarding work and jobs.

You can consider yourself as lucky if you have the green card, whatever the pathway was to get it.

The majority would find it daunting. It's only a minority who are lucky either by marriage, or by the right employer who offers sponsorship and few can afford to pay a law office all the time.

What is true for you sadly isn't true for others. I've tried, but it was never possible at all same as it was impossible for lots of others.

I neither have a good lawyer nor the money to endlessly pay one, I am also not in a job where I would be likely to get one as well. I also could never consider marriage just for visa purposes as well. Working illegally was also no choice, way too risky and unpleasant consequences.

As said in my field H1B is the maximum that's possible, and that's no real option to me. Too insecure especially with all the layoffs in the IT sector. EB-1 I would never ever get, there is nothing in my CV that could ever qualify as "extraordinary abilities" nor do I work in research. You may have these abilities, but the majority simply don't.

The option to get a Green Card is really not there for anybody, no matter how hard they try and no matter what you write here.

What you are describing is more the case for Canada. Yes it has become much harder to get PR in Canada, but if somebody really tries hard, is possible.

In the US it's impossible, - it was in the 90ies and it is even more so today.

So, if you can tell us here how all these Latino Immigrants from simple backgrounds in the US can get an EB-1 Visa and get that converted to a Green Card, I'd be happy to listen, but the reality will be that they don't have that option.

There is no official path to go from a 90 day visa waver to a Green Card. The 90 day visa waver is mainly for tourists and business visitors. Unless you're sponsored and the employer has sponsorship options, you'd have to go via some form of visa to get a Green Card. H1B is a popular choice, however the number if these visas is capped and it's tied to a job offer with a certain amount of salary. If you're faced with a layoff time is limited to get keep the H1B status alive. EB-Visas are also known as the Einstein Visas, it's only for scientsts or others with exceptional skills few of us ever have.

Under Trump immigration has gotten more and more political, - and ever since 9/11 things have tightened more and more. So if you want to legally work in the US on a permanent basis, don't expect any favours, unless you're really privileged and very gifted.

I understand.

But please also note: Personally I have learned it's easy, very easy to work hard and motivated, even day and night if necessary at something once the opportunity one has always been looking for has been given. I have been in similar situations before as well, but not in terms of US visas and EB1 visas, but in other job opportunities and life in different countries, Canada amongst them.

Note also that the majority of people are simply not given such an opportunity you have and this includes the overwhelming majority of Latin Americans with aspirations to make it in the US.

Even though different in this case there are certainly parallels to that. I've heard of scientists, leaving the US, for Canada simply because for the freedom to speak and the freedom to do research without any hinderance.

Trump and his yes-sayers are more and more fanatics. They haven't put jews into concentration camps yet, but they are lashing out at others, infringing free speech to going after vaccinations, banning certain books, cancer research and so forth.

And myself, I am by far no gay rights advocate, diversity and inclusion leftie or Hamas symathiser.

There are way more effective ways to reduce illegal work in the US than sending goons with guns, - simply don't issue a SIN number without a visa, only issue temporary SIN numbers to the lenght of the visa and one is illegally simply unemployable, - other than working for cash in hand on a daily basis.